Tractor crane



Jljme 12, 1945.

R. c. HAMILTON 2,378,008

TRACTOR CRANE Filed Jan. 20, 1945 :s Sheets-Sheet 1 Inventor WW -Mg,

. R. c. HAMILTON 2,378,008

TRACTOR CRANE June 12, 1945.

Filed Jan. 20, 1945 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor WWW 5% 9?) a les fig; 1/fall. I

June 12, 1-945. 4 R; c. HAMILTON $378,008

: TRACTOR CRANE Filed Jan. 20, .1945 I a sheet -sheet 3 Inventor WWWPatented June 12, 1945 unit-so stares macr s s I My Gharles }lamilton,Marion, Ohio A plication.-

ti Serial; No. 51 5 3! 3 5* Glailrns.

This, invention relates to a tractor crane, and: more. particularly to.such a, crane; adapted; to utilizethecombination of' a conventional:form or industrialtype tractor-plus adapter units, in relaa; tion. witha crane adapted: to be associated there-v with.

A primary object of this invention-is the-provision of an improvedtractor cranecharacterized by increased maneuverability and operating:efliciency; wherein power to raise the load or the crane is furnished bya power takeofi attached'to horizontal plane is accomplished through theoperation ofa hydraulic power cylinder mounted on 25' a frame attachedto the tractor, and the power adapted to be applied at an angle toturnthe turntable throughout a substantial arc of a circle in eitherdirection. v

A still further object of the invention is the provision of an improvedlocking device, adapted rigidly to secure the turntable and" fastener inparallel alignment, whereby operation of the ract r wh ch s pr d t a ateryre ront heat. v fii t v o ot t the com et unit in a full 360, degreecircle, the arrangement being such that the front wheel of the tractorand, the supportingwheels of the turntable may both more freely to,effect such rotation.

Other objects reside in the combinations'of elements, arrangement ofparts, and features ofconstructiou, all as will be morefully peinted outsrein i n hown i the ac ompany ng:

dra n sr a h r is d scl sed a pref r ed: untedjon a plur t drawin s:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view, certain parts thereof beingvbrokenaway, disclosing .a tractor and crane embodying features of the instantins-l; ventive concept, s

Figure 2 is a top plan view ofthe uni-t shown in Figure 1-, certainportions thereof being broken em-bcdimentof this inventive concept.

. away,-

Figure 3 is a sectional view-taken substantially u along the line 3--3'of Figure 2' as viewed in the direction ndi a sdc y he r o s Figure 4'is a sectionalview taken substantially along the line 4--4 of Figure 3as viewed in the direction indicated by the arrows,

gel. 212-38 F ured is a traementarr planri w f a. certaincoustructicnardetailtand Fi ure 6: is: an nlar ed. se tiona View takenthrough one of; t e hyd au ic: operatin cy nd rs or the mechanism.

Similar re-fierence c ara ters; rater t similar part thnoughoutthe.several views of the draw-v ings. Y

Having reference now to, thedrawings, there 13 is: generally indicatedatoll]; t tractor, including a motor contained in thecustomary. hood 1;prom vided with a rear axle 12 at the, ex rem t es. of which are mounteddriving wheels. I3. The forward; extremityds provided with a projectingmember lid, to which. pivot-ally secured a bracket l5, which supports aWheat 116; of ca ter type, 'mounted on an axle ll. A conrenti nalsteering rod 1:8 is provided tolgovern the movementofthewhcel I16; i

The axle I2 is providedwith a diiaierential mechanism; k2!andiindividual right and left brake pedals l5: and zflyrespec-tively,adapted; to be utilized for controlling the movement ofthe tractor in.amannentoibe more fully described hereinafter. v

A supporting frame or adapter unit in the form. of a platform is adaptedto lac-secured to the rearaxle M, as by means; ofi supporting brackets26-, and carries thereon-a Winch or drum 21 ,:provided with' anextendingreduced shan-k 28;

and: mounted for: rotation in brackets. 29 carried l bythe member 25. Acable 31! surrounds the shank portion 28, and extends: to an operatingrod 34, operatively connected with a hydraulically the cylinder 32includes an inlet, dit'adapted tov be provided with a fluid from anydesired source, within whichiscontaine'd a piston 34: adapted tobeconnected to the operating rod 3-1.

4Q The rear end of the adapter-unit 261 terminates sociated bracket andterminates in a bevel T 5;; gem; 49 adapted tobe driven by a bevel gear50 which is securedto a driveshaft 5| providedwith universal joints; 5 2and 5-2 and actuated by the.

power-takeoff -ofthe tractor; u

The plate-31 is connected to the adapter unit 0 25 as by means of abolster 53, secured as by a actuat'ed-"cylinden32 As best shown inFigure 6, v

intermediately positioned ball and socket joint 54 in the plate at oneextremity, and fixedly secured as by welding at its opposite end to theadapter member 25.

A pin 60 pivotally mounted in a suitable block in the bolster, as bymeans of a pivot pin BI, is adapted to engage in a suitable aperture 62,in the front of the plate 31, to secure the plate 31 in the adapterunit, and hence the tractor, in parallel alignment when desired.

Secured beneath the frame of the adapter unit 25, as on a ball andsocket member 65, is a hydraulic cylinder 66, similar in internalconstruction to the hydraulic cylinder 32, and associated with anactuating rod 61, which in turn engages a pin 68 secured to the underside of the plate 31.

The drum 2! has a cable 68 wound thereabout, the upper extremity ofwhich is secured to the upper extremity of the boom 44 (not shown) forraising and lowering the boom, while the drum 41 has wound or reeledthereabout a cable or rope 69, which passes over a suitable pulley (notshown) to the upper extremity of the boom, and terminates in a dependinghook or other desired lifting apparatus.

From the foregoing, the operation of the device should now be readilyunderstandable. When it is desired to raise the boom 44 of the tractor,the drum 2'! is actuated by means of the hydraulic cylinder 32 throughtheconnection previously described, until the boom is raised to thedesired level. I

When it is desired to hoist a load on the boom, the drum 4'! isenergized by the power takeoff of the tractor through the drive shaft 5!to 1'0 tate the drum and lift the load.

When a partial rotation of the crane, through the platform or base 3? isdesired, up to, illustratively, forty degrees in eitherdirection,rotation of the plate 3'! may be efiected by energizing the hydrauliccylinder 66, a slot 70 being provided in the forward arcuate edge of theplate 8'! for such purpose.

When a greater rotation up to 360 degrees is desired, the tractor I 0may be energized by means of its motor, and a rotation about aneffective are of 360 degrees ineither direction efiected by controllingthe movement of one of the wheels,

l3 by means of its associated brake pedals It or I9, as desired. Thefreely rotating caster Wheels 39 and I6 are designed to permit rotationabout a relatively narrow turning radius.

Obviously, when straight forward movement of the crane is desired in anydirection, the same may be effected by movement of the tractor in theconventional manner,towing the-crane assembly therebehind. I

From the foregoing, :it will now be seen that there is herein provided adevice accomplishing all of the objects of this invention and others,including many advantages of great practical utility and commercialimportance.

As many embodiments may be made of this inventive concept, and as manymodifications may be made in the embodiment hereinbefore shown anddescribed, it is to be understood that all matter herein is to beinterpretedmerely as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim: I

1 In a construction of the character described, in combination, atractor, a, caster-type front wheel on said tractor, an adapter unitsecured to said tractor and having a concavely arcuate rear extremity, acrane unit including a baseplate having aconvexly arcuate extremityadapted rotatably to coact with said rear extremity of said adapterunit, bolster means rotatably securing said crane unit to said adapterunit, a boom on said base plate, a drum on said adapter unit, and meanson said tractor to actuate the drum to raise and lower said boom.

2. In a construction of the character described, in combination, atractor, a caster-type front wheel on said tractor, an adapter unitsecured to said tractor and having a concavely arcuate rear extremity, acrane unit including a base plate having a convexly arcuate extremityadapted rotatably to coact with said rear extremity of said adapterunit, bolster means rotatably securing said crane unit to said adapterunit, a boom on said base plate, a drum on said adapter unit, and meanson said tractor to actuate the drum to raise and lower said boom, saidlastmentioned means including a hydraulic cylinder secured to saidtractor.

3. In a construction of the character described, in combination, atractor, a caster-type front wheel on said tractor, an adapter unitsecured to said tractor and having a concavely arcuate rear extremity, acrane unit including a base plate having a convexly arcuate extremityadapted rotatably to coact with said rear extremity of said adapterunit, bolster means rotatably securing said crane unitto said adapterunit, aboom on said base plate, a drum on said adapter unit, means onsaid tractor to actuate the drum to raise and lower said boom, a seconddrum on said crane unit adapted to raise and lower a load carried bysaid boom, and power means on said tractor to rotate said second drum.

i. In a construction of the character described,

in combination, a tractor, a caster-type front wheel on said tractor, anadapter unit secured to said tractor and having a concavely arcuate rearextremity, a crane unit including a base plate having a convexly arcuateextremity adapted rotatably to coact with said rear extremity of saidadapter unit, bolster means rotatably securing said crane unit to saidadapter unit, a boom on said base plate, a drum on said adapter unit,means on said tractor to actuate the drum to raise and lower said boom,a second drum on said crane unit adapted to raise and lower a loadcarried by said boom, power means on said tractor to rotate said seconddrum, and a driveshaft connecting said last-mentioned drum and saidpower unit.

5. In a. construction of the character described, in combination, atractor, a caster-type front Wheel on said tractor, an adapter unitsecured to said tractor and having a concavely arcuate rear extremity, acrane unit including a base plate having a convexly arcuate extremityadapted rotatably to coact with said rear extremity of said adapterunit, bolster means rotatably securing said crane unit to said adapterunit, a boom on said base plate, a drum on said adapter unit, means onsaid tractor to actuate the drum to raise and lower said boom, saidlast-mentioned means including a hydraulic cylinder secured tosaidtractor, a second drum on said crane unit adapted to raise and lower theload on said boom, power means on said tractor to rotate saidsecond-mentioned drum, and a driveshaft connecting said last-mentioneddrum and said power means.

RAY CHARLES HAMILTON.

